What if everything you've been told about baby sleep is backwards?

In this week’s episode, Aimee welcomes infant and toddler sleep specialist Aleni Katsinis to challenge Western sleep culture and reveal a more instinctual, connection-based approach to helping your child rest.

From co-sleeping to understanding what babies really need at night, this episode will transform how you think about sleep—not just for your child, but for yourself.

They take us through:

—How sleep training isn't the only option, and babies waking at night is biologically normal and healthy

—How positive sleep associations through connection create lifelong healthy sleep habits, not independence training

—Why your parental instincts are valid, even when they contradict mainstream advice

—How we were raised around sleep affects our nervous system and beliefs as adults

—Why building community support is essential when mainstream culture isolates new parents

And so much more!

Bio:

I live in Buffalo, NY, with my beautiful daughter Nora and lovely partner (for life) Dave. As a certified infant and toddler sleep specialist—and a mom myself—I know how overwhelming sleep struggles can be. Trust me, I’ve been through it all! As a first-time mom, there was so much pressure to sleep train. That pressure was overwhelming, exhausting, and draining. It took away from the moments I should have been enjoying with my daughter. I knew there had to be another way we could achieve sleep without using separation. That’s why I founded Rooted in Sleep, to honor that connection with my daughter while still getting some sleep!

My approach is based on attachment, helping families build strong roots in their relationships while nurturing their babies’ sleep needs—without using any type of sleep training methods. Together, we’ll focus on your family’s unique needs, creating a sleep rhythm that honors connection. I don’t push for strict independence; instead, I empower families to create sleep solutions that align with their values, instincts, and unique dynamics.

Connect With Aleni:

Website: Rooted In Sleep

Email: alenikats@gmail.com

IG: @rootedinsleep https://www.instagram.com/rootedinsleep/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555776178545

Connect with Aimee:

Instagram: @aimeetakaya

Facebook: Aimee Takaya

Learn more about Aimee Takaya, Hanna Somatic Education, and The Radiance Program at⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠www.freeyoursoma.com⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠

What if the digital connections we've built during years of isolation are actually preparing us for something deeper?

Aimee and intuitive coach Elysia Skye explore why embodied presence matters now, how wounds become curriculum, water's lessons on forgiveness, and why gathering—physically, energetically, and intentionally—opens portals to collective brilliance.

This episode weaves together energy work, Oracle wisdom, and lived experience to reveal how coming back into the flesh is essential for authentic connection and transformation.

Elysia takes us through:

—Why in-person connection create a deeper transformation

—Learning to listen to your somatic wisdom as a mindfulness practice

—How Somatic wisdom is a mindfulness practice

—How physical awareness builds an authentic connection

—Why athering amplifies healing and insight

—Trusting your own knowing over external validation and control

And so much more!

Elysia Skye is a speaker, mindset and leadership consultant, and host of The Brilliance Method Podcast. She has produced educational and motivational content for global brands and continues to lead mindfulness workshops for Fortune 500 companies and small businesses.

Through her podcast, speaking, and Patreon community, Elysia shares practical tools and profound insights that inspire people to trust themselves and create a wealth mindset rooted in presence, purpose, and authentic leadership. Her work provides actionable ways to quiet the noise, strengthen intuition, and step fully into your zone of genius. The 7 Secrets to Waking Up Happy Every Day

https://sevensecrets.thebrilliancemethod.com/gift-7-secrets

Connect with Elysia:

Website: elysiaskye.com

Podcast: elysiaskye.com/podcast

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elysiaskye

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@elysiaskye

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elysiaskye/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/elysiaskye

Connect with Aimee:

Instagram: @aimeetakaya

Facebook: Aimee Takaya

Learn more about Aimee Takaya, Hanna Somatic Education, and The Radiance Program at⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠www.freeyoursoma.com⁠⁠⁠.

Does your child push every boundary, question every rule, and seem immune to traditional parenting strategies?

Parent coach Mary Van Geffen returns to discuss "spicy ones"—the intense, strong-willed children (about 20% of kids) who feel everything deeply and need a radically different approach.

She shares why these passionate trailblazers require a radically different kind of support and how adults can shift from control and correction to attunement and regulation.

Mary takes us through:

—Who the “spicy ones” are, and how to reframe "strong-willed"

—How your own nervous system and need for control affect the parent-child dynamic

—Why modeling matters more than demands when dealing with demonstrative children

—Using heavy body work and movement to help kids process big feelings appropriately

—Why standard approaches often fail with high-intensity temperaments

—How your parenting role must shift dramatically as spicy kids enter the tween and teen years

And so much more!

Mary Van Geffen is an international parenting coach and parent educator for overwhelmed moms of strong-willed & Spicy Children™. She teaches monthly workshops to help moms gain confidence to choose gentle, respectful parenting, especially if they weren’t raised that way.

Mary has a ministry on Instagram where she posts an inspiring parenting tip every single day. Just reading her social media will help you delight in your child and remember that you are enough. Mary believes that when a mom realizes how hard she is on herself and cracks the door open for some self-compassion, her entire family is bathed in light!

Mary is a certified Simplicity Parenting Counselor® and Professional Co-Active Coach®. Her greatest achievement, however, is cultivating a calm, kind, and firm relationship with her spirited go-getter daughter (17), polar-opposite introverted son (15), and un-Enneagramable hubby.

Link to preorder the book Parenting A Spicy One: A compassionate guide for raising a deep-feeling and wonderfully strong-willed kid

Preorder here to access Mary’s Affirmations Masterclass and the Meltdown Meditations for Moms. https://www.maryvangeffen.com/parentingaspicyonebook

Are you a spicy one quiz:

https://www.maryvangeffen.com/quiz?mcp_token=eyJwaWQiOjc0Nzg3MSwic2lkIjoxOTE2NDY3NjY0LCJheCI6IjlhN2IxZWIxMWUxNTFjYmM3YzMyMDA1Y2RiNjUyMGI3IiwidHMiOjE3MTEzMDM2NjIsImV4cCI6MTcxMzcyMjg2Mn0.z2efLk8K2Glc2ijQxNcZKc2akcaB79gw5CBSUVr5HeU

To hear Mary’s first episode on Free Your Soma: Gentle and Respecting Parenting, please see episode 15.

Connect with Aimee:

Instagram: @aimeetakaya

Facebook: Aimee Takaya

Learn more about Aimee Takaya, Hanna Somatic Education, and The Radiance Program at⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠www.freeyoursoma.com⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠